Haymitch's POV
by PoppingBalloons
Summary: Haymitch is reaped for the 50th Hunger Games. Now he must face the challenges of the games and the ones after he wins.
1. Chapter 1

As I wake up I turn around, and see my little brother curled up on the other side of the bed. Then a pang of dread hits me. I realize that today is the day of the reaping. All I can hope is that the deranged Capitol woman does not pluck a piece of paper with my name from the reaping ball. I hope that I won't have to fight to the death in the Hunger Games. My brother, Seth who is only 8 is too young to go to the reaping, as it's for 12 through 18 year olds. But I at 16 must. My name will be entered 20 times. 5 because have to, and 15 more times for tesserae. But this isn't any old Hunger Games this is the Quarter Quell. Every 25 years the Capitol gives us a cruel twist to the Games. This 50th Hunger Games will require the districts to give twice as many tributes. The odds are not in my favor.

Before I get up I looked one last time at my little brother and see his little hands gripping his blanket. I can't leave him. Once I exit our tiny house, I feel a cool gust of air rush through the Seam. The sun is out with white fluffy clouds in the air. "This will be better than last year", I think while remembering the unbearable heat over District 12 from last year's reaping. Today nobody has to do anything except wait for the names to be called out in the square at 2 o'clock this afternoon. With nothing to do I decide to go to the meadow and relax under a tree before I need to get ready for the reaping. Under the tree it's nice and cool, it's the perfect temperature really.

Before I know it the sky tells me that it's almost 1:30 and I decide to go back to get myself ready for the reaping. I scrub myself down in a bath of warm water. Then I put on one of my nicer shirts and a good pair of pants. When I comb my hair out in the mirror I try to get my hair to lay straight but it won't. It go's back to it's black curls.

As my mother, my brother and I make my way down to the town square I start to get nervous. Even though I try my best not to let it show, my brother notices.

"If they take you I won't let them", he says wrapping his arms around my waist.

This only makes we worry more about how I would feel to be taken away from Seth. When we reach the square my brother and mother stay in the back with the rest of the crowd. I go and sign in then wait in a roped off area near the front with all of the 16 year olds. When the Mayor comes out onto stage my nerves are sky high. He goes over his hour longer speech and tells of why we must have the Hunger Games. 50 years ago the districts revolted against the Capitol. In return we must have the annual Hunger Games. Each of the 12 districts must sent tributes to fight to the death, with the last one alive winning. When the victor gets back home they live in richness instead of poverty that lives with the rest of us.

Once the speech is over a Capitol woman steps up to the stage with powder white hair and tall green heels on. As usual she say, "May the odds ever be in your favor", followed by "Ladies First!" The Capitol People have high squeaky voices and barley open their mouths in District 12 it's fun to mimic them. She places her hand in the Girl's Ball and pulls out the name and shouts, "Millie Hunter!"

A frail blonde girl steps out from the 13 year old section with tears running down her cheeks. Then slowly and shaking she makes her way to the stage. The moment Millie steps foot on the stage the next name is grabbed from the ball. The Capitol escort calls out the name,"Maysilee Donner!"

I watch as another blonde girl tries to walk up to the stage. Maysilee is being held back by 2 other girls. She pushes her way through them walking bravely to the stage. I know her, I've seen her at school before she is also 16 years old. We have never talked before, as she typically stayed with the merchant kids. I draw my attention away from Maysilee and look back up to the stage. The escort is making her way over to the Boy's Reaping Ball. In those thousands of slips 20 have my name on it. As her pointy finger feel around in the ball, I cross my finger's that it's not me and it isn't.

"Dominic Hayden", yells the Capitol lady. Relief floods my body, but instantly disappears as I realize there is still one more name to be called. Crossing my fingers again, I wait for a name to be read.

When I hear "Haymitch Aberthy" shouted my stomach drops a thousand feet. This isn't right, the unthinkable has happened. My names was entered only 20 times in the thousands of other names. I'm ready to cry. But I remember that I must stay calm or I'll be thought of as weak and not stand a chance. So I knit my face into a scowl and take bold strides up to the stage. On the outside I must look like a rock but on the inside my body feels like jelly.

Once I make my walk up the stage, which felt like hours I shake hands with the other tributes. The escort tells us her name is Regina. Regina says,"You are so lucky, not everybody gets to be in the Quarter Quell you know". I am disgusted by this Capitol woman. Does she really think that this is an ideal position to be in? These people are so clueless and so inconsiderate it makes me want to vomit. Before I can do anything some Peacekeepers whisk us away into separate rooms of the Justice Building.


	2. Chapter 2

I wait in a small room somewhere inside the Justice Building. I sit on a big velvet couch with two others against the other walls. Deep red carpet is beneath my feet and I stare at a big, oak door ahead of me. "This is it", I think.

The odds of me coming back home are 1 to 48. There is no way on earth that I can beat the careers. They are tributes from districts 1, 2, and 4. The careers are well fed, and are trained to fight from a young age. After waiting and waiting Seth and my mother walk through the door escorted by some Peacekeepers. The door slams and it's just us in the room.

"No, Haymitch no you can't", Seth sobs as he crawls up my leg and burrows in my shoulder.

Whispering into his ear I say," It's going to be okay, promise".

Then my mother comes over and I tell them both how much I love them. Before the Peacekeeper starts to drag them away me mother shouts, "I love you, you can win!"

As I sit I place my head in my hands. Surely my mother must known that I can't win. I wait in silence hating the Games, hating the Capitol. The door finally bursts open again. And in walks the love of my life. Madeline Abbott has a worried look on her face and I know she's holding back tears.

"Hey, you can do this", she says with a cracking voice.

"I don't know what to do", I reply.

"Win and come home"

"Madeline, you know I can't", I say taking on a more serious tone.

"Look at me Haymitch, you have to stop doubting yourself. If you even want to have a chance in these Games you have to believe in yourself.", she snaps back.

When I open my arms up she runs right into them. We stay like this, not saying a word until a Peacekeeper comes to drag her out. "I love you!" I scream as they take her away. "I love you too", she yells back over the Peacekeeper's heads.

I am almost certain that I will never see her again.


	3. Chapter 3

Wanting desperately to cry I remind myself that I must stay strong for only a little longer, for sure there will be more cameras.

Once all of District 12's tributes are gathered at the back of the Justice Building we are escorted in to a car along with Regina and our mentor, Alex Riddle. He won his Games 51 years ago when he was 18. Looking at him I become more worried. How can this man with gray-blonde beard, and hair with sharp cheekbones mentor us all? So I ask, "Isn't this going to be impossible with 4 tributes and only one of you?"

"There will be time for questions later", he says looking out the car window with a hazed look.

This causes be to lean back in my seat with defeat. I try to relax, stop the emotions from overtaking my body. I take in my surroundings. _I am in a car, I have never been in a car before._ That's right I haven't _before, and I don't like it._ The car bumps up at every small pebble on the path making me sick to my stomach. And between Alex, Regina, the driver, me, and the other tributes the car is crowded and claustrophobic.

"We're here", announces the driver pulling up to a train station.

I have only seen train stations on T.V. That Capitol Propaganda was right, the train stations are stunning. Due to the beauty of this stunning place it takes me a second to take in the people.

Flashes and cameras are everywhere, and splashes of color come from the crowd. There are many more Capitol people here. Their as oddly dressed as Regina. Some even more so. Looking closer in the crowd I see more grotesque people, with vulgar facial features. Horns and whiskers on people, or should I not even call them people, they look more like wild beasts.

A group of peacekeepers walk up to the car. I immediately feel threatened and my body tenses up more than it is. _Your okay_ I try to tell myself. I try to calm down, but the sight of the Peacekeeper reminds me where I am. I am still in Panem not in some magical fairytale of colorful beings. My body floods with the same fear I felt an hour before when I was reaped.

The peacekeepers open up the doors and we are pushed rather abruptly through a crowd of people toward a sleek, shiny, steel train. The only way we made it through was because the Peacekeepers were shoving people behind them, forcing them back.

The train is absolutely ravishing. Regina tells us we each have our own rooms. She leads me and Dominic down one hall, and the girls down the other. In my hallway there are two doors. Dominic goes through one and I go through the other. Expecting more velvet as I opened the door, I am surprised to satin sheets and wood flooring.

The room is so large I can walk 20 steps in each direction. _Why do I even need this much room I am only one person?_ Sitting on my bed I think. I think about what has happened. My life will know either be changed forever or lost. Reflecting I stiffen up, but I barely feel any emotion. I'm numb, this can't real can it?

"Haymitch , Dinner, Now", Regina shouted from down the hall.

As I walked down to the middle of the train I smelled wonderful smells. Fresh baked bread, turkey, and apple pie. My mouth waters. I hadn't eaten since yesterday and even then all it was, was some rough bread made from the tessera rations.

Sitting down at the table I found it almost impossible to resist the urge to leap on the table and stuff my face. Instead I waited with Regina for the others to come. Maysilee walks in followed by Alex, and then a few minutes later, Dominic.

"Where's Millie?" I asked.

Maysilee nods her head toward the second hallway.

I don't know how I couldn't have noticed it before, but there's a faint cry coming from one of the bedrooms. Maysilee raises her eyebrows toward me knowingly and in return I raise mine back.

Can't waiting any longer, I grab for the food. Buns, ribs, and soups of all sorts. Not wanting to miss one bit I stuff myself until I am full.

All this food is making me sick.I never knew how badly a stomach can hurt from _too much_ food. Back in 12 my stomach would only hurt when I didn't have _enough_ food. I feel as though my insides are in knots.

Slowly, I manage to drift off to sleep.

Seth tugs on my sleeve. He brings me into the meadow. We pick flowers and sit under the trees all afternoon. I stay by the tree as he plays around it. Running in circles, Seth goes around and around the tree. Only the next time he doesn't come back around the tree.

"Haymitch!" An ear-splitting cry cuts across the meadow.

Locating Seth's voice I turn around and see him on the other side of the fence screaming at me.

"Get me out, help me, Haymitch please!"

I try to go over and help, but I can't move. Stuck in my place, helpless...

Suddenly they are pulling him to the square. A crowd gathers as the Peacekeepers tie Seth to the whipping post.

I wake up in a cold sweat to the sound of Seth's screams.


End file.
